Dox Thrash (1893-1965) grew up in Georgia in the early 1900s with a childhood love for art that would lead him toward self-study of the practice through correspondence courses. His goal was to attend an art school that admitted Black students and the Great Migration led Thrash to Chicago where he studied at the Art … Continue reading Artist a Day: Dox Thrash
My inbox is overloaded with art fair mail that I wistfully looked at this week while secretly breathing a sigh of relief that I’m safely in North Carolina while the frenzy, appropriately dubbed #artmageddon by Carolina Miranda of the L.A. Times, kicks off in full swing. Alas, this morning, the FOMO is officially in full … Continue reading Artist a Day: Genevieve Gaignard
I came across this piece by North Carolina-based artist Clarence Heyward today, and I had to share. This painting of his daughter gave me a much-needed attitude adjustment after a very long week that included me repeatedly posting the same gifof an adorably cranky cat that perfectly suited my mood over the last couple of … Continue reading Artist a Day: Clarence Heyward
While I was out for a walk today in downtown Raleigh I stopped to have a chat with a man that works nearby and I found out that he’s a cowboy. We ended up talking about animals and his dream of one day owning a horse, which ended up dovetailing into a convo about the … Continue reading Artist a Day: Ron Tarver
Today’s post combines math, data visualization, and mysticism all within a single song. Yesterday while I writing, I was listening to some jazz and John Coltrane’s 11383 (Take 1) randomly played. About three-quarters of the way through the song, a bass solo by Jimmy Garrison suddenly reminded me of a hip hop sample that was … Continue reading Artist a Day: John Coltrane
Today’s post features one of my favorite murals in downtown Raleigh that holds a unique connection to Raleigh’s history. In 2017 artist Dare Coulter was commissioned by the ACLU and the Raleigh Murals Project to create “Dare to Dissent”, a tribute to the legacy of protest and activism throughout history. Coulter’s murals are important … Continue reading Artist a Day: Dare Coulter
Beauford Delaney was born in Knoxville TN in 1901 and raised in a southern Baptist family with two budding artists. Beauford and his brother had a strong aptitude for art and their skills were cultivated locally until the artist moved to Boston to continue his studies. Delaney would later settle in New York and become … Continue reading Artist a Day: Beauford Delaney
In 2017 director Matthew Cherry announced a Kickstarter campaign to produce a short film about a little girl’s natural hair journey. At the time, artist Vashti Harrison was garnering a large social media following for her beautiful illustrations that capture the magic that’s found in the simple joys of childhood. Her expressive characters could be … Continue reading Artist a Day: Vashti Harrison
Last year I wrote a piece about a lowrider motorcycle exhibition called Viva Viclas at CAM Raleigh, and one of the things that struck me during the research for the piece was how Black and brown motorcyclists formed strong connections in the early years of motorcycle and chopper culture. I wonder what happened, because those … Continue reading Artist a Day (Design Edition): Cliff Vaughs
Over the last 3 weeks I’ve seen the laudatory reviews and images on Noah Davis’s solo show at David Zwirner and one painting keeps sticking out to me. It features a little girl in a dress with white knee-high socks and a pair of t-strap Mary Janes. The little girl’s hands are politely folded in … Continue reading Artist a Day: Noah Davis
